Ladder attachment



April 23, 1929. P. MCCORMICK LADDER ATTACHMENT Filed June 30, 192'? 2Sheets-Sheet April 23, 1929, P. MCCORMICK 1,710,026

LADDER ATTACHMENT Filed June 56, 192? 2 Shgets-Sheet 2 Invent r WeAttorneys Patented Apr. 23, 1929.

UNITED STATES PATRICK MCCORMICK,

OF MONTREAL, QUEBEC, CANADA, ASSIGNOR OF ONEJTALT? TO DAVID ASGH, OFMONTREAL, CANADA. I

LADDER ATTACHMENT.

Application filed June 30, 1927, Serial No My invention has particularreference to the support of a ladder from the ground in-- justabledevice for serving the dual purpose of a brace for the ladder when theframe serves as a stand for the ladder and to act as a support for ascaffold when the frame is hung from one of the upper rungs of theladder. I

More specifically stated the invention con sists of a rectangular framehaving a pair of double hooks at one end and carried rigidly thereby.These hooks arepreferably formed in one piece with the sides of theframe. An adjustable rectangular frame is pivoted at one end of the sidebars of the main frame and has a brace also in the form of a rectangularframe pivoted at one end near the outer end of the adjustable frame andhaving its op-' posite end bent to extend angularly and substantiallyparallel to the main frame. This bent and of the brace has ratchet teethfor engagement with rivets projecting inwardly through the sides of themain frame.

For full comprehension, however, of my invention reference must be hadto the accompanying drawings in which similar ref erence charactersindicatethe same parts and wherein c Figure 1 is a side elevation of myladder attachment supporting a ladder from the Figure 5 is a sideelevation of my improved attachn'ient removed; I

Figure 6 is a detail view of the ratchet toothed brace; and

Figure 7 is a detailhorizontal sectional view on line 7-7 Figure 6 ofone of theside bars in engagement with one of the ratchet toothedangular ends of one of the braces.

. 202,710, and in Canada September 3, 1926.

My attachment as before mentionedmay be used as either a support for aladder from the ground or as a support for a scaffold from one of theupper rungs of the ladder. To Whichever use it may be put itsconstruction remains the same. The main frame of the attachment consistsof a pair of side bars Zr having one end turned atan angle and pointedas at b and braced together by a pair of rods 0 protruding through holesin the side bars and having nuts 0 and 0 securing the ends of the rodsto the side bars. Lock washers c preventing the displacement of thenuts. One end of eachof these side bars is bent to the form of anelongated transverse hook, one end 6 of which serves to attach the frameto'one of the upper rungs of a ladder when a scaffold is to besupported, and the other end '7" of the book serves to connect the frameto the bottom rung of a ladder when the attach ment is to support theladder from the ground as shown in Figure 1. Near the hooked ends ofthese side bars are pivoted a pair of side bars 3 of an adjustable frameand bracing rods secure the sides of the auxiliary frame in properrelative positions, the free ends of the side bars of such auxiliaryframe being being bent at an angleas at j to serve as retaining meansfor scaffold planks. The aux iliary frame is adjusted to differentangular positions by a pair of braces is rigidly secured in spacedrelation by bracing rods cosimilar to rod coabove mentioned andconnected to the side bar by nuts 0 and lock washers 0 also as abovedescribed. The braces are pivoted at their upper ends to the side barsnear thefree ends of the latter, the opposite ends of the braces 70being of angular form as at m to extend substantially parallel to theside bars Z) of the main frame, the lower side of the angular part m ofthebrace is formed with ratchet teeth a. The bars Z) having a series ofpreferably five rivets 0 carried thereby and extending a short distancetherethrough for engagement by the ratchet teeth a of the braces. Theserivets are preferably of slightly greater length'than the thickness ofthe ratchet toothed portion m of the brace and theside bar 1) againstwhich it lies, the portion 79 of the rivet extending through the sidebar 5 being of slightly less diameter than the portions extendinglatterly from the side barisuch portion shaving a fixed head thereonwhile the reduced portion is rivetted for the purpose of fastening therivets rigidly to the side bars and thereby provide a rigid hold for theconnection of the brace to the side bar of the main frame. The frame maybe folded to liesubstantially flat andimay be detachably connected tova'ladder by a' chain t attached to the end bracing rod 0. By this meansthe hooks e, fmay be engaged with one of the rungs of the ladder and thechain used as a ladder, base or foot or as a support for' ajscafl'oldfrom one of the upper rungs of the ladder or from a' pair of ladders.

My improved attachment 1s manipulated as follows For use as'a supportfor the ladder the eye: of the hook e, is engaged with the bottom rungof the ladder as shown in Figure 1 andthe frame rests with the points ofits side bar-s engaging the ground or the floor of a building asthe casemay be. The braces l': are then disconnected from the studs formed bythe rivets andthe adjustable frame is shifted into contact Wit-litheladder When in the position in which it is required for use,

the brace k is then pressed downintoengagement with'th'e studs, theladder Will then be supported independently-of any Wall and in anupright position, and the frame presents a base or'foot sufiicient forthe center of gravity to be Within the base atwhateverposition on theladder a workman may be. To use the attachment as a scaffold support theeyes of the hooks, e, 'f, of reach of two frames is engaged with rungsof a pair of ladders A and B leaning up against the Wall to have a signpainted upon it for instance,

.the Wall C and the adjustable frame is adjusted by moving the braces 76to bring the side bars j to a horizontal position. Planks D are laid onthe frames j, thus affording a firm foot-hold for a Workman.

lVhat I claim is as follows 1. A ladder attachment comprising a framecomposed of side bars united in spaced relation by rods rigidly securedat their opposite ends to the side bars, an auxiliary frame pi oted tothe main frame near one end thereof and the protruding ends thusproduced of the main frame having formed integrally therewith transverseelongated hooks, the auxiliary frame being composed of a pair of sidebars, a pair of braces pivotally connected tothe side bars of theauxiliary frame near the free endsthereof and having their opposite endsbent at angle and having their edges towards the main frame formed withratchet teeth, the side bars of the mainframe having studs forengagement by the ratchet teeth and the ends of the side bars of themain frame opposite to the auxiliary frame having angul'arly disposedpoints substantially as described. r

2 Aladder attachment of the character described coinprising a mainframe, an auxiliary framehaving one end pivotally conneeted with themain frame, mechanism pivotaily connected with the auxiliary frame andengageable with the main frame for adjusting the auxiliary frame atvarious angularpositions with respect to the main frame, and a pairofopposed transversely elongated hooks formed at one end of the mainframe, said hooks being bent'to form semi-circular rung engagingprojections at each end thereof.

I Inivitness whereof I have hereunto set my hand.

PATRICK MCCORMICK.

